


Volunteer x Mandate

by SevenCandlesticks



Category: AOA, B.A.P
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, I intend this to be cute despite the setting, Learning to trust, Romance, some dystopian elements, there's some fluff though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-06-24 14:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15632982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenCandlesticks/pseuds/SevenCandlesticks
Summary: In the year 2218, there exists a law known as the Matchmaking Act. On the month you turn 21, if you are not already in a relationship, you may receive a mandate to enroll in the Public Matchmaking Service. Those who do not receive this mandate have the option to enroll voluntarily. Kim Chanmi is devestated when she receives notice she has been selected, afraid she'll end up in a horrible relationship. Her name is drawn by volunteer participant Moon Jongup, whom will now be her husband. All he wants is someone to love and protect. Can he convince Chanmi to open up to him, or will he have to care for her at a distance?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> An experimental work. I've always wanted to try my hand at the 'arranged marriage' genre. I am hoping to provide little fluffy moments and that the relationship developes in a healthy way despite the circumstance. As it being something different than what I normally write, I do not expect my writing to be at its best haha. Hope you enjoy anyway!

The year is 2218.

Two hundred years hadn’t produced much progress technology-wise. Aside from a few new advancements and gadgets, everything else remained as we know it now.

Cities were a bit different, however. Currently, Earth was in a healing state after an unexpected disaster that rained from the stars. It left the planet a dusty and grey world. Foliage was pretty sparse, and much of the world’s food had to be grown in green houses. Fresh produce had become quite the luxury, so many had to settle with dried or canned goods.

In order to survive, a lot more regulations were in place to keep things in order. Some laws made sense, but some met with opposition. The government got too comfortable with having control, including a rather _personal_ dictation.

That one such law in particular was the _Matchmaker Act._

Enacted in 2145, this law mandated that eligible singles who are not in a relationship by the age of 21 may be enrolled into the _Public Matchmaking Service._ The state typically sends out these notices to a random cluster of people on their birth month to those whom fall under this age range. Those that do not receive the notice are allowed to voluntarily enroll as participants as well.

Participants are paired via lottery. Once a match is made, the contract is sealed. You cannot object to your pairing. You cannot divorce your paired spouse without the service’s approval, with most cases being denied 80% of the time. Their word is _final._

This is why Kim Chanmi was sorrowfully crying that fateful June morning when amongst her pile of mail, she received a PMS Notice.

They claim it’s safe, but everyone knew that was a lie. Chanmi heard the stories, _true stories_ of some terrible matches that led to horrifying relationships. She didn’t want to be the next victim. That terrified her more than anything. But trying to escape your enrollment led to unpleasant consequences. Mandates were given the entire month to show up on the day of their choosing. Failure to do so ended up in the authorities dragging you out to an office themselves. So that day, she went to the local PMS office in her area.

The office was surprisingly not as bustling as it usually was. In no time, she was at the front of the line, filling out her enrollment form in bitter quiet.

“Your identity has been confirmed. Please proceed to Engagement Terminal 506. May your union be a happy one~”

Chanmi forced a small smile as she took her ticket and grabbed the handle of her roll on luggage. The matchmaking service wasted no time, and always paired participants that day of enrollment.

The secondary line at the office was for volunteers. People were often despised for volunteering their participation, as it was constantly “feeding the system”, making it harder for the law to be abolished. What’s worse, the volunteers mostly got the privilege of pulling out a mandated name from the lottery basket.

Currently at the voluntary window, Moon Jongup was filling out his application form to the service. He had mixed feelings about what he was doing. On the one hand, he knew that the PMS was a wretched entity. On the other, he felt obligated. There was that small part of him that worried about being alone, and he just wanted to love and take care of someone. Maybe he could be that tiny bit of good that comes out of this, even though he knew he could also be putting _himself_ at risk.

“Thank you for volunteering your partnership. Please pull a name from the Rafflet Bask.”

The lady on the other side of the window pushed an unclear jar through. Sticking his hand in, he pulled out a name card. He stared at it; Kim Chanmi, 506.

“We hope you make your new wife happy! Good luck~”

“Thanks…” he slightly bowed before taking off.

Already guilt was churning in the pit of his stomach. But what’s done is done, the match had been made. All he could do now is be a good husband, something that often lacked in PMS designated relationships.

Meanwhile, Chanmi sat anxiously in her tiny square space, swinging her legs. She’s already been waiting for about 2 hours and was starting to get hungry. You could imagine her startlement when the glass door suddenly opened. The sound caused her to flinch, knowing full well that her “husband” had come to get her.

“I’m sorry. Um… are you Kim Chanmi?”

She didn’t expect such a soft voice to come out of his mouth. Trying to smile (but failing), she nodded.

“I’m Moon Jongup.” he put his hand out, but she just looked at him. Yeah, that’s a weird way to introduce yourself to your “wife”. He pulled back, laughing nervously. This was awkward. “Oh, umm…”

He quickly pulled two wedding bands from his pocket, handing her one. “They need to see this to let us go.”

“Oh… yeah.”

Sighing with a melancholy expression, Chanmi stood up and Jongup stood in front of her. She held out her left hand and he slid the ring on her finger. In turn, he put his hand out for her to do the same. She hesitated a moment, on the verge of tears, and whilst it was clumsy, she slid his wedding band onto his finger.

Now it was official. Chanmi belonged to Jongup.

As the two exited the cubicle, Jongup couldn’t help but notice Chanmi’s luggage burden. She was not only pulling a large roll on, but she had a rather heavy looking backpack slung over her shoulder, using her free hand to hold a duffle bag.

“Do you want any help?” he offered.

She just shook her head.

“Okay…” he didn’t want to push her.

Approaching the exit, the guard verified their identities and handed them an information packet, which included their marriage license.

“Enjoy your honeymoon.” The man said in a rather flat and uninterested tone.

Despite how forced those words were, it still caused Chanmi to flinch, knowing its implication. The sheer thought of it left her uncomfortable and wanting to cry, but she managed not to.

Jongup noticed this.

He felt bad for her. But the least he could do is try to melt her fears and make her feel safe. Even if she forever locks herself off from him, he wanted to show her that he means her no harm. He just wants to take care of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I didn't purposely have 'PMS' to stand for the matchmaking service, it just happened that way xD


	2. Chapter 2

Jongup helped load all of Chanmi’s things into the backseat of the car before sliding into the driver’s side and she on the passenger. It would be about an hour’s drive to get to Jongup’s apartment, where Chanmi will now be staying.

Half hour into the trip, the entire ride was silent. She kept her gaze out the window, contemplating how she’s going to adjust. Jongup seemed to notice the awkward tension, and tried to ease her nerves a bit.

“Oh, here. I got this for you.”

Pulling something from one of the compartments, he handed Chanmi a small package wrapped in gift paper. Well, it couldn’t hurt to open it. She tore the paper off, revealing a small selection of chocolates. It was a familiar brand, still shrink-wrapped, so she knew it wasn’t tampered with. A faint smile graced her lips, since she was starving. “Thank you.”

The rest of the trip continued in silence.

It wasn’t long before Jongup was pulling into a parking space of his apartment complex, putting the car into park. Chanmi’s gaze was looking upward, having a feeling he lived on an upper level. Her anxiety about the whole situation began acting up again, but there was nothing she could do about it. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she slid out of the car and put her hands out to signify she wanted to take her luggage.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

She just nodded, like a child whom was too shy to speak.

“We’re on the 4th floor and there’s no elevator.”

“I at least want to hold these, please.” she took her backpack and duffle bag.

“Okay…” he slightly sighed, but didn’t object. He didn’t want to make her feel any more uncomfortable than she already was.

Leading the way, Jongup climbed up the stairs with Chanmi not too far behind. She seemed to be holding out fine, despite what he assumed was a lot of weight on her back.

Pulling a slide card out of his pocket, he inserted it into the device beside the door. After a few seconds of reading, he was able to type in the passcode, pull out the card, successfully unlocking the door.

The apartment was fairly small and rather plain looking. The main colours were a warm, creamy white, with only a few furniture pieces splashing dull colors to the atmosphere. There was a 2-person sofa against the wall near the door with a lampstand beside it, a low coffee table in the center, and a small TV on a low cupboard that probably contained books—with a small wired rack to the side that had a humble selection of old DVDs.

Jongup went off to the side near the tiny kitchen, flicking on the switch whilst taking off his shoes. This allowed enough space for Chanmi to enter. “Looks.... cozy.” she commented lightly, kicking off her own shoes and proceeding toward the end of the room to find a door that most likely led to a spare room.

To her right, down the narrow hall, there was a small cove to the left which had a door to the bathroom. All the way at the hall's end was an opened door that led into the master bedroom. Swallowing, Chanmi inhaled a deep breath, sighing anxiously before making her way there to unpack her things.

Jongup quickly intervened, causing Chanmi to quickly spin around at the sound of his voice.

“Here,” he opened the door to the tiny spare room. “You can sleep here if you want.”

She looked at him almost in disbelief. “Really? I can?”

He nodded softly.

For the first time since he met her today, he saw a smile grace her lips. She was so overwhelmed, it almost looked like she was about to cry. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”

Chanmi dropped her luggage in a corner and fell backward onto the bed (which was surprisingly quite comfy). Sure, the room may have been a little cramped, but it was a space all her own.

“You can fix whatever you want from the kitchen.” Jongup told her, standing outside the door frame. “Nothing is off limits. It's your home too.”

She lifted her right hand up high, giving an OK sign.

“Also, if...” he trailed off a bit, having second thoughts of even putting this out there. “We better look at our file later.”

That wasn't what he wanted to ask. He wanted to tell her if she decided to share the master bedroom, she was welcomed to come in at anytime. But that didn't feel appropriate, even if they were married. Because he chose this, not her.

“We can look at it now,” she told him, sitting up.

“Okay.”

The two proceeded to the kitchen counter. Jongup poured all the contents from the envelope onto it. There was their official marriage license, two plastic identification cards for each of them that include their union, some other stapled documents, etc etc. One thing that caught Chanmi's eyes was a very large photo. It was obviously photomanipulation, but all clients would receive a traditional “wedding photo” as a keepsake.

It was a rather beautiful photo, showing them in front of a very pretty building, their hands intertwined.

Jongup noticed her staring at the photo with a stoic expression. “People still conduct ceremonies like that afterword.” he told her. “We could if you....” he trailed off, cutting off his own sentence as he saw Chanmi release a shaking sigh, setting the photo down.

“I better put this in my wallet,” she said, swiping her new identification card from the counter and heading back to her bedroom.

Chanmi didn't want to be here.

And Jongup didn't blame her.

 

 


End file.
